Canadian Space Agency Awards $72 Million Contract for WildFireSat Mission

Published on February 12, 2025

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded a $72 million contract, including taxes, to Spire Global to design and develop the WildFireSat mission. This initiative will create a dedicated satellite constellation to monitor active wildfires across Canada from space. Spire Global has partnered with OroraTech, an expert in space-based thermal intelligence, to develop the mission’s payloads.

Wildfires cost Canada approximately $1 billion annually in direct firefighting efforts, with additional economic losses from property damage, evacuations, and impacts on sectors like forestry, energy, and tourism. Indigenous communities, representing 5% of Canada’s population, account for 42% of wildfire-related evacuations, highlighting the disproportionate impact on remote areas. The WildFireSat mission aims to improve early wildfire detection, enhancing public safety, environmental protection, and economic resilience.

The satellite constellation will focus on monitoring wildfires during the late afternoon “peak burn period,” providing critical data on fire behavior, smoke, and air quality. This information will support better decision-making for wildfire response and mitigation. The mission is a collaboration between the CSA, Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Forest Service, the Canadian Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation, and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Spire Global plans to expand its Cambridge, Ontario, office to include satellite manufacturing and testing capabilities, enabling domestic production of the WildFireSat constellation. OroraTech will develop the wildfire detection payloads and data processing systems, building on its previous work with Quebec’s wildfire authority.

The WildFireSat mission also includes partnerships with Indigenous communities, such as the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation’s Wakâ Mne Initiative, to create economic opportunities and ensure their involvement in the project. The constellation is scheduled for launch in 2029 and will be operated by the CSA for at least five years.

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